On this day in…
1799
224 years ago
Philippe Lebon d’Humbersin was issued with a French patent for his two-stroke internal combustion coal-gas motor featuring many principles of the modern two-stroke engine Read more…
1888
135 years ago
William C Durant and J Dallas Dort organised the Flint Road Cart Company Read more…
1914
109 years ago
Monsieur Barvajel purchased a Lenoir gasoline engine, thought to be the first sale of an internal combustion engine Read more…
1923
100 years ago
BMW exhibited the R32 to the public for the first time Read more…
1926
97 years ago
A Ford sales branch opened in Alexandria, Egypt Read more…
1926
97 years ago
The 1 Read more…
1929
94 years ago
Maserati’s new V4, a 16-cylinder car driven by Baconin Borzacchini set a new flying 10 kilometer land speed record of 153 mph (246 km/h) during a race in Cremona, Italy Read more…
1930
93 years ago
The first Czechoslovakian Grand Prix run over the 18 mile Masaryk Circuit at Brno Read more…
1935
88 years ago
The 1936 Buicks were officially introduced featuring ‘Turret-Top’ styling and for the first time, series names – Special, Century, Roadmaster, and Limited Read more…
1938
85 years ago
Charles Duryea died in Philadelphia, US at the age of 76 Read more…
1947
76 years ago
Alberto ‘Ciccio’ Ascari recorded his first automobile racing victory at Modena, Italy driving a Maserati Read more…
1948
75 years ago
Henry Ford II told his Forward Product Planning Committee to begin research on production of a new medium-priced car, that eventually resulted in the Edsel Read more…
1949
74 years ago
The stunning Jowett Jupiter, the Bradford company’s only sports car, first appeared at the London Motor Show, having been designed in 4 months by the famous Austrian engineer Dr Robert Eberan von Eberhorst and Jowett’s in-house body stylist Reg Korner Read more…
1949
74 years ago
The Rover P4-series was launched at the London Motor Show Read more…
1950
73 years ago
The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation officially introduced the Henry J as a new marque Read more…
1952
71 years ago
Herb Thomas crept to within 174 points of leader Tim Flock in the NASCAR Grand National title chase with a victory in the 100-mile event at Wilson, North Carolina, US Read more…
1954
69 years ago
The British Motor Corporation unveiled its latest model, the Austin Cambridge Read more…
1957
66 years ago
American Motors formally announced the termination of the Hudson and Nash marques Read more…
1959
64 years ago
Rudolf Caracciola (58), who won the European Drivers’ Championship, the pre-1950 equivalent of the modern Formula One World Championship, an unsurpassed three times, died Read more…
1962
61 years ago
The 1963 Chevrolet cars and trucks were introduced on the same day that the 48,000,000th Chevrolet was produced Read more…
1969
54 years ago
Team McLaren drivers, Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme finished 1-2 in the only Can-Am event ever held at Michigan International Speedway, US Read more…
1975
48 years ago
Brian Redman drove a Lola-Chevy to victory in the inaugural Long Beach Grand Prix, an event for F5000 cars Read more…
1977
46 years ago
Andrew Cowan, Colin Makin and Michael Broad in a Mercedes 290E arrived at the Sydney Opera House after covering 19,239 miles to win the Singapore airlines sponsored London-Sydney rally – the longest motor race ever held Read more…
1978
45 years ago
Car & Driver Editor Don Sherman set a Class E record of 183 Read more…
1980
43 years ago
Michael Thackwell became the then youngest Grand Prix driver when he took part in the Canadian Grand Prix, aged 19 years 182 days Read more…
1980
43 years ago
Dale Earnhardt led the final 13 laps to Martinsville’s Old Dominion 500, (Virginia, US) Read more…
1982
41 years ago
General Motors launched the Spanish built Opel Corsa, which was sold in Britain from April 1983 as the Vauxhall Nova Read more…
1982
41 years ago
Ford took a major step in overcoming its history of poor labour relations, opening the joint UAW (United Auto Workers) and Ford National Development and Training Center Read more…
1988
35 years ago
The Ahrens Fox Model AC fire engine had its 15 minutes of fame when the U Read more…
1990
33 years ago
The first 4 Read more…
1990
33 years ago
Martin Donnelly’s short and promising career was ended when he crashed his Lotus in practice for the Spanish Grand Prix, hitting a guard rail at 140 mph with such force that his car disintegrated and he was hurled onto the track still strapped into his seat Read more…
1996
27 years ago
Mark Martin held off Jack Sprague by 0 Read more…
1997
26 years ago
There was no brotherly love between the Schumachers at the Luxembourg Grand Prix, but there was a brotherly shove as less than 200 metres after the start Ralf’s Jordan piled into Michael’s Ferrari and smashed the latter’s front suspension Read more…
2002
21 years ago
The British-built Mini Cooper was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show Read more…
2002
21 years ago
Michale Hughes jumped a distance of 103 ft (31 Read more…
2002
21 years ago
The new BMW Z4, Volvo S60R and V70R made their world debut at the Paris Motor Show Read more…
2005
18 years ago
One the world’s most prestigious production car records was obliterated by Michael Vergers in Radical’s extraordinary SR8 Read more…
2005
18 years ago
In Australia, a team from Holland, known more for its windmills than its sunshine, won a four-day, 1,860 mile, international solar-powered car race across deserts, notching up their third straight victory Read more…
2005
18 years ago
An 11-year-old boy discovered by police driving a BMW and barely able to see over the steering wheel was banned from driving, despite not qualifying for a licence for another six years Read more…
2007
16 years ago
Wallace Gordon (“Wally”) Parks (94), the ‘Father of Drag Racing’, died Read more…
2008
15 years ago
Fernando Alonso won the Singapore Grand Prix, the first-ever night race, for the Renault team from 15th on the grid Read more…
2009
14 years ago
Britain’s Business Secretary Peter Mandelson said the government would extend its car scrapping scheme with extra funding for an additional 100,000 cars and vans Read more…
2011
12 years ago
Cuba legalised the sale and purchase of automobiles for all citizens Read more…
2012
11 years ago
It was announced after much speculation that Lewis Hamilton would be leaving McLaren after the 2012 season to join the Mercedes-Benz works team for the 2013 season onwards, partnering Nico Rosberg, after signing a three-year contract with the team Read more…
2012
11 years ago
Famed motorsports editor and commentator, Chris Economaki passed away on this day Read more…
2016
7 years ago
German carmaker Volkswagen said it has stopped buying mica from some suppliers in India, following a Thomson Reuters Foundation investigation that found child workers were dying in illegal, unregulated mines Read more…
2020
3 years ago
A British judge restored Uber’s transportation license in London Read more…
